Getting Started

[Steve Panas]

Taken from BARC Web site. Perhaps could be adapted to be listed within our website
A Basic Guide to Getting Started in Motor Racing
The aim of this web page is to lay out the basic information that you need to understand before you can start competing in Motor Sport events.


Preliminaries
The controlling body for Motor Sport in the UK is the Motor Sports Association Ltd (MSA), who derive their authority from the FIA in Geneve.   The FIA is the highest international body involved in the administration of Motor Sport.

All competitors need to obtain a Competition Licence from the Licencing department of the MSA, and in order to do so, need to request a "Starter" pack from the MSA, which will include an application form, and details of ARDS courses offered by various Racing Schools.   It is necessary for all new Competition Racing Licence holders to attend and pass an ARDS course, and the ARDS examiners will endorse a successful candidates Competition Licence application form.

The BARC's own Thruxton Motorsport Centre offer ARDS courses, all of which take place at Thruxton Circuit.   The instructors are all very knowledgeable, and in the main are professional racing drivers of one sort or another, and it is amazing how much they know.   They will assess your capabilities, and advise you as to whether you are best suited to racing a saloon, sportscar or single-seater.   However, we recognise that you may have already made up your mind!

All applications to the MSA for a Racing License have to be accompanied by a Medical Report, and most Family Doctors will complete the form (supplied in the Starter Pack) for a small fee.

The MSA may be contacted on 01753 765000 (+44 1753 765000 if phoning from overseas), or by visiting their website on www.msauk.org.

Alternatively, you can write to :-

The Motor Sports Association Ltd.
Motor Sports House
Riverside Park
Colnbrook, Slough
SL3 0HG
Once you are in possession of a Competition Licence, you need to become a member of an MSA recognised motor club such as the British Automobile Racing Club. Click here to visit our Membership page, where you can fill in an on-line membership application form.

If you intend to compete in Races organised by the BARC (as opposed to Speed events such as hillclimbs or sprints), you will need to become a full Racing Member. If you only intend competing in BARC organised Speed events, ordinary Club membership will suffice, together with an appropriate Centre membership.

Buying a Car or Renting a Drive
Once you have gained your licence, you are ready to take the next step, and decide which Championship or Series to join.

There are over 100 different Championships in the UK, administered by dozens of different organisations or clubs.

For most of them, you will need to buy and race-prepare a car, or join a professional team who both provide and maintain your car on a contractural agreement.

In the main, such teams only operate in the more professional single-seater formula, such as Formula Renault.   This can be a very expensive way of starting, but if you are young and have set your sights on the likes of Formula One, it is one of the only ways to get there.

When you have made your choice, you can obtain a set of Championship Regulations, from which you will discover whether you also need to join the Club that is organising the Championship etc.   These regulations will also tell you the procedures for entering a race meeting and what you are allowed to do to the car to make it more competitive.

As one of the oldest and largest of the motor racing clubs in the UK, the British Automobile Racing Club Ltd. is the sole organiser or joint organiser of some 35 different championships, series or challenges.   Regulations are changed each year to coincide with improvements in technology and safety, or changes to the different venues that the competitions visit.   Most Race Championships have twelve rounds spaced between March and October, and appear annually at most of the recognised racing circuits in the UK.

Venues
The British Automobile Racing Club organise race meetings at the following venues :-

THRUXTON near Andover, Hampshire
PEMBREY near Llanelli, South Wales
BRANDS HATCH near Dartford, Kent
SNETTERTON near Norwich, Norfolk
OULTON PARK near Tarporley, Cheshire
CADWELL PARK near Louth, Lincolnshire
SILVERSTONE near Towcester, Northamptonshire
DONINGTON PARK near Castle Donington, Derbyshire
MALLORY PARK near Hinckley, Leicestershire
CROFT near Catterick, North Yorkshire
ROCKINGHAM near Corby, Northamptonshire
GOODWOOD near Chichester, West Sussex
ANGLESEY, North Wales
LYDDEN HILL near Canterbury, Kent
Some rounds of BARC Championships take place at Circuits both in the UK and Europe which are not under the direct control of the BARC.   On these occasions, other motor clubs host the visit. These circuits include :-

CASTLE COMBE near Chippenham, Wiltshire
KNOCKHILL near Dunfermline, Fife
MONDELLO PARK near Dublin, Southern Ireland
CROIX en TERNOIS near Arras, Northern France
Costs
It is very difficult for us to quantify the costs of becoming a racing driver, as the frequency at which you compete, or the degree of technical sophistication you wish to attain will have a very significant impact on your overall costs.

However, you should recognise that you will incur costs in all of the following areas :-

ARDS course and licence, £250
Personal equipment (overalls, helmet etc), £600
Purchase of a suitable car (depending on the Championship you wish to enter), £???
Car preparation or Team agreement, £???
Purchase of a suitable electronic transponder for race timing purposes, £200
Annual Club membership, £90
Annual Subsidiary Club membership, depending on the Championship, nil to £100
Annual Championship Registration fee, nil to £300
Race entry fees, per race, £140 to £250
Transport costs to/from each race meeting (using a trailer or transporter etc), £???
Accommodation at race meetings, hotels, food etc., £???
We have never claimed that motor racing is cheap !!

[Pete Sparrow]

Well done mr Panas,you've saved me a job.We've need something like this for a while
I have some things that I think should be put in about prep of our specific cars.
Hopefully we can chat at Lydden if you make it down

[Steve Panas]

If we believe that fuel will be available we will be there. Van only has limit of 250 miles.  :roll: